


Broken Like Me

by hargr0ves



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Family Trouble, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2020-08-09 22:08:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20124625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hargr0ves/pseuds/hargr0ves
Summary: In which 17 year old Dani gets pregnant by Billy Hargrove. When his dad offered Dani $500,000 to disappear, she took it without thinking and fled to Maine. Five years later, she’s home in Hawkins planning her dad’s funeral with her daughter in tow, and Billy has questions.





	1. Date Night

_ **5 Years Ago.** _

The sound of an engine roaring into the street made Dani look up from her desk. She had her homework spread out in front of her, although she wasn’t really focussing. It was nearing 8pm, which is when Billy had promised to pick her up for their third date. Shuffling in her seat, she leant over to her open window just in time to see his dark blue Camaro pull up in front of her house. She smiled to herself as she moved away, grabbing her bag from where it sat on her bed and checking her hair one last time in the mirror.

The hallway was dark, the only light coming from the TV flickering in the living room. She usually hated the fact their house was only on one level, but on the nights she got to see Billy, she loved not having to waste time going downstairs. Rolling her eyes at the sound of slurping in the living room, Dani stuck her head around the door frame. Her dad was sat in his usual chair, a beer clutched in his hand and some old, black and white war movie playing in front of him. Dani cleared her throat, waiting on him looking away from the TV before she spoke.

  
“I’ll be home by midnight.” She said, offering him a smile, although only to be met by a stone-cold face and a grunt.

  
“10PM. No later.” He muttered, and Dani frowned at him.

“We’re going to a drive-in movie, Dad. I’ll be back by midnight.” She repeated herself, trying to leave out the fact that he would be passed out drunk by the time she got home anyway, so she wasn’t sure why it mattered. He glared at her but didn’t say another word as she turned away from the doorway and slid her feet into her shoes. Grabbing her keys from the sideboard, she didn’t bother calling a goodbye before she pulled open the front door.

The mid-August air outside was hot and sticky, and clung to Dani’s skin as if it were trying to become part of her. She tried her hardest to get to his car as quickly as she could without making herself sweat. When she reached the car, she looked back at the house, seeing her dad standing at the living room window, a scowl on his face. She waved lightly, pulling open the passenger side door and all but diving into the seat. Slamming the door, she looked over to the boy in the driver’s seat, her heart skipping a bit as she took him in.

He turned his head to smile at her, and she noticed that a few curls were sticking to his face with sweat. His chest had a glisten to it that only he could pull off, and his shirt was unbuttoned nearly all the way down, only two buttons at the bottom holding it together before it was tucked into the waistband of his jeans. His jeans were ripped at the thighs, and she could see the tanned skin underneath, the result of him working at the community pool all summer. He leant towards her slightly, and for a minute she thought he was going to kiss her, but he just tipped his sunglasses slightly, smirking as he did so.

“Do you think your old man wants to come with us?” He asked, his voice husky and deep as he chuckled lightly, making Dani laugh breathlessly. Having him so close to her was really messing with her head.

They had been on two dates already, both of which he’d been a perfect gentleman during, but he had already told her he had different plans for tonight, and the thought made her stomach twist with butterflies. He sat back in the driver’s seat with a smirk, sliding his sunglasses back up and revving the engine. Dani risked a look at her dad again, and she could’ve sworn she could see the smoke coming from his ears.

Billy revved his engine obnoxiously as he pulled away from Dani’s house. He always drove just on the verge of too fast, but he had never once gotten into an accident, and Dani probably felt safer in his car than she would have on the bus. The sound of Whitesnake came through the speakers of the stereo, and Billy tapped along on his steering wheel. Dani always found herself watching him. The way he moved, no matter what he was doing – from driving to walking to just moving his hair out of his face -- was so fluid, so smooth, that it made her almost uneasy. The feelings Billy gave her were unlike anything she’d ever thought possible, and that was dangerous.

Billy moved one hand from the steering wheel, not even looking at her as he reached across and stroked his thumb across her cheek. Her breath caught in her throat at his touch, and Billy smirked. His fingers moved to run through her hair slightly, and Dani turned her head just in time to place a small kiss to the inside of his wrist, the taste of his cologne clinging to her lips and making her head spin as Billy finally looked over at her.

“Anyone would think you were nervous, sweetheart.” He smirked, looking back at the road as they pulled up to a stop light. Dani laughed lightly, shaking her head.

“What can I say? I’m on a date with big, scary Billy Hargrove.” She laughed, and Billy rolled his eyes, a smile on his face as he pulled away from the lights.

“You think I’m scary?” He asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Dani shrugged, resting her head back on the headrest of her seat and watched the streets outside fly by them.

It took them another hour to drive to the theatre Billy had booked tickets at, him handing their ticket numbers over to the woman at the entrance. She blushed as he smiled at her, and Dani shook her head, laughing lightly to herself. Billy had that effect on all the girls, and even some of their mothers, when he smiled at him, but here she was, sitting in his car on their third date. If she didn’t have to deal with her father, she would’ve been convinced she was dreaming and in need of a good, hard pinch.

Billy pulled into one of the parking spaces, rolling down his window enough to grab the small speaker they needed to hear the movie. Looking over at Dani, he smiled a little, leaning over and taking her chin between his thumb and finger, leaning in close enough that Dani could feel his breath on her lips.

“I’ll go get popcorn, stay here.” He whispered, brushing his lips against hers so lightly she wasn’t sure if it had even happened. She could feel her heartbeat in her ears as he pulled away, smirking to himself as he climbed out of the car.

Dani slid down in her seat slightly, her cheeks feeling like they were on fire as she blushed to herself, shaking her head.

\--

Dani didn’t mean to fall asleep, but before she knew what was happening, the sound of Billy’s engine was waking her up. Rubbing at her eyes, she sat up properly in her seat, stretching her arms above her head as much as she could in the small space she had. It was strange, being in Billy’s car with no music on, and she suddenly realised she had his leather jacket wrapped around her shoulders. The streetlights passing by gave the car an orange glow every now and then, and she looked at the time on her watch. It was nearing eleven thirty, and she sighed, feeling suddenly like she’d ruined their date.

Looking over at Billy, she caught him looking at her as he drove. She usually would’ve yelled at him to watch the road, but there was no other cars on the road.

“Well, hey there.” He smiled, looking stunning even in the orange glow of streetlights.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” Billy laughed at her apology, shaking his head and reaching over to chuck her under the chin. She felt comforted and like a little girl all at once.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. I could tell you were tired.”

The truth is, Dani never got much sleep. She was either always working, studying, or waking up at 4am to go and get her drunken father off the living room floor and into his bed. 

She smiled lightly, glad that the darkness hid the blush that was crawling up her face.

Billy turned the car into a parking lot, and Dani’s eyebrows furrowed as she registered the motel in front of them. The neon sign illuminated the car in bright pinks and greens, and the sound of people arguing nearby droned in the background.

“I need to be home in half an hour, Billy.” Dani smirked; the realisation of what Billy was doing hitting her.

Billy grinned at her, leaning his head back against the headrest of his seat and lifted his eyebrows.

“Sorry, I just thought you’d want a break from your dad for a while.” He said softly, his voice tender and making Dani’s insides turn to mush. She smiled, taking Billy’s hand across the seats and kissing his knuckles.

“You’re an angel, Billy Hargrove.” She smiled, letting go of his hand and opening her car door. It hadn’t cooled down any since he had picked her up earlier in the evening, the air still clinging to every inch of her skin as she walked from the car to the motel reception. Billy locked the car doors, jogging to keep up with Dani and slinging an arm around her shoulders and pressing a kiss to her temple. He headed into the small reception while Dani waited outside, sweat beading around her hairline as she contemplated jumping in the pool fully dressed. She probably would have if she knew when it was last cleaned.

Billy reappearing made her grin, her heart skipping beats the same way it always did when she looked at him. He slid his hand into hers, tugging at her slightly as he guided her towards the pink, metal stairs that took them up to the second story of the motel, their room door being right at the very end of the walkway.

Dani crossed her arms as Billy unlocked the door, the fighting couple by the pool catching her eye as she waited. She looked away just in time to see Billy shove the door open, a grin on his face.

The fan spun lazily on the ceiling, barely giving any relief from the close heat they had been in for the last few hours. Dani kicked her shoes off as she stepped into the room, a habit she always had no matter where she was. Billy closed the door behind them, wrapping his arms around Dani’s waist and kissing the top of her shoulder lightly. Dani smiled, running her hands along his arms and leaning her head back against him.

“I thought we were here to sleep.” Dani smirked, turning in Billy’s arms to face him, running her hands up his chest through the open space in his shirt.

“We will sleep.” Billy shrugged; his eyes intense as they stared into Dani’s. “We can sleep all day tomorrow if that’s what you want…” He leant down, his breath washing over Dani’s face as she lifted her chin to meet him. He hesitated, the corners of his lips pulling into a cheeky smile as he danced around kissing her for as long as possible, just to see the colour rise in her cheeks, and feel her hands wrap around his biceps, squeezing them as she waited.

Finally, and much to Dani’s pleasure, he pressed his lips to hers. Soft and smooth and tasting like cigarettes, but still harsh enough to have Dani melting into his chest. She moved one of her hands to his hair, letting the curls run through her fingers as they kissed. She didn’t notice him moving them until the side of the bed was pushing at the back of her knees, and she let herself fall backwards with a small ‘oof’. Billy landed on top of her, a laugh leaving him at the look of surprise on her face/

“You’re so beautiful, Dani.” He whispered, running his hand along her face before kissing her again.

Just like that, Dani forgot all about her father’s curfew.


	2. Revelations

Three months had passed since the night in the motel. Dani had missed school the next day, not waking up until nearing 2 in the afternoon, panic setting in about what her father was going to do when he realised she hadn’t been home at all. He had screamed for hours, and Dani had just taken it, letting him get his rage out before he went and got hammered in the bar a few streets away. She had to go collect him that evening, the owner of the bar phoning her not long after midnight, apologising to her for the fourth time that week.

It was November now, and Dani was stood on the front doorstep of Billy’s house. His car wasn’t in the drive, and part of her was relieved, she didn’t know why she thought this was a good idea when she had been ignoring his calls for weeks. She chewed on her lip as she waited on someone answering, hoping and praying that it was his little sister, Max, and she might be able to talk some sense into the situation.

Looking around the garden, Dani noticed how overgrown it had gotten since the end of summer. The flowers were all wilted and the leaves from the trees were gathered around the trunks in messy bundles, Billy had obviously gotten bored cleaning them up and done it as quickly as he could.

The sound of the door being pulled open made Dani’s head snap round, and her heart filled with happiness when she was greeted with the fiery, red haired Max, a concerned look on the fifteen-year-old girl’s face.

“Dani? Is everything okay?” Max asked, her eyebrows knitting together as she looked Dani over. She knew she looked bad, her hair was scraped into a bun and she was wearing a pair of her older brother’s old sweatpants that he had left behind when he went to college. Dani smiled a little, trying not to give away that she had been throwing up since 4am.

“Can I come in?” Dani’s voice was quiet, and Max raised her eyebrows, but pulled the door open enough for Dani to move through anyway.

The Hargrove/Mayfield house was something of a mystery to Dani. She had never seen the inside of it in the whole time she was dating Billy. The walls were all still plain white, obviously not allowed to be decorated while they were still renting. The living room was made up of two sofas, a coffee table, an old TV, and a weight-lifting bench that made Dani smile.

It smelled of Billy, like cigarettes and musk, beer bottles were littered across the small coffee table, and Dani remembered all the times Billy had snuck in her bedroom window, his face covered in blood and bruises, after fights with his drunken father. She had promised him they’d run away together, go live in Maine at her aunt’s house, she was never there anyway.

“Billy isn’t home, y’know, but you can wait in his room or –”

“I need to talk to you, actually.” Dani cut Max off, crossing her arms across her chest and smiling a little. Confusion crossed Max’s face, the pair only ever really talking when Billy had been giving them both a ride home.

“Me? Why? Is everything okay?” Max repeated her earlier question, her tone more serious now.

“I – I have a small problem.” Dani swallowed, not yet being able to get the words out.

Max lifted her eyebrows again, looking Dani up and down for a second before her expression changed, her mouth dropping open and some of the colour draining from her face. She looked like she was about to speak, when the front door burst open, making both girls jump.

Billy’s dad came stumbling in, his shirt ripped at the shoulder and the instant smell of beer radiating off him. He looked at the two girls in front of him, scoffing a little as he leant down to untie his boots. Dani swallowed nervously, looking at Max and seeing her roll her eyes.

“Aren’t you meant to be at work?” Max asked, her voice like stone. Dani had never heard her sound so harsh.

“Aren’t you meant to be at school?” He shot back, glaring at Max in such a way that made Dani want to bundle her up in her arms and put her in her car.

“Study week.” Max shrugged, looking at Dani quickly before squaring off her shoulders and moving down the hall. “I have a date with Lucas, I need to get ready.”

The younger girl disappeared into her bedroom, leaving Dani stood in the sightline of Mr. Hargrove, who was sneering at her like he loathed her. Dani swallowed nervously, crossing her arms over her chest again and hunching her shoulders like she always did when she was uncomfortable. She watched as Mr. Hargrove moved towards one of the sofas, flopping himself down against the sofa cushions.

“He’s on a date, y’know.” He slurred, looking at Dani and lifting an eyebrow as he reached into the cooler hidden down the side of the sofa, pulling himself out a beer. Dani sucked a breath in through her teeth. She knew Billy would have no issue finding someone else to date, but the naïve side of her thought he might’ve waited a bit.

“That’s… that’s not why I’m here.” Dani said, her voice shaky as she tried to subtly move towards the door. Mr. Hargrove laughed a short, sharp laugh.

“Oh, God, you’re not pregnant, are you?” He chuckled, looking at Dani. Dani hesitated, her face falling as the greying man stared at her.

He stopped midway bringing the beer to his lips, his eyes widening.

“Oh, shit. You are, aren’t you?” He laughed loudly, shaking his head as Dani stood, completely unaware of what to do. “Listen, darling, Billy is not cut out to be a father.”

“I’m not cut out to be a mother.” Dani said quietly, looking at her shoes. She heard Mr. Hargrove moving, looking up through her lashes to see him rifling through a drawer in the sideboard. He stood quickly, slamming the drawer so hard it made Dani jump.

He turned towards her, a credit card in his hand and a small smile on his face.

“If I were you, I’d take this -- it’s the card to a savings account I opened when I was twenty-one. There should be about five-hundred-thousand dollars in there by now. Give that kid a better life than what it would get here.”

Dani looked at the card being held out to her, the black, shiny square looking ever appealing to her. She lifted her eyes to Mr. Hargrove’s face, and for the first time since she’d met him, she saw something she never expected. He looked kind. His eyes were warm and sincere, and he suddenly looked a lot older.

“Billy won’t be a good dad, y’know. He's too selfish. Like father like son, I guess. That kid deserves a good shot, and they won’t get that with Billy around.”  
  
Dani knew she shouldn’t believe what Mr. Hargrove was saying but hearing him admit that he was a bad dad gave her a feeling inside that she couldn’t quite describe, and suddenly the thought of Maine hit her again. Just this time, it would be her and her child. No more spending her nights wide awake waiting to go pick up her drunken father, no more being terrified of bumping into people he had fought with in the streets, no more Billy.

She could be the mom she had always wanted her mom to be. Get them their own apartment and make sure they always had food in the cupboards. She wouldn’t up and run the second her kid turned one.

Reaching out, Dani’s hand shook as she took the card from Mr. Hargrove’s hands.

“I can’t pay you back…” She stuttered, looking up at the older man, who only shook his head.

“You don’t need to. Knowing my grand-kid is happy and has a good future ahead of him with a smart mom is enough.”

Dani felt herself tearing up, and she swallowed again as she nodded. Turning away from the man in front of her, Dani started back towards the front door. Hesitating when she reached it, she turned to look back at Mr. Hargrove.

“Thank you.” She said quietly, to which he raised a hand, a smile on his face.

“Don’t mention it.”

Dani let herself out, closing the door slowly behind her and started down the front path. Her heart hammered in her chest as she thought about what she was going to do. It was an eighteen-hour drive from Hawkins to Maine, so she would need to stop somewhere overnight, or at least for a few hours for a coffee.

Unlocking her car door, Dani climbed into the driver’s seat, chewing on her lip to try and stop herself crying. She started the engine and took one last look at the Hargrove’s house before she pulled away from the curb.

Her mind was going three-thousand miles a minute, trying to think of the best route to take, what to pack, whether she would tell her father or not. She decided not to, thinking her aunt would be able to phone and tell him when she got there.

Reaching the end of the Hargrove’s street, she looked in her rear-view mirror, and for a second her heart stopped. Billy’s blue Camaro was sat in front of his house now, and there he stood, staring at the back of her car as she drove away.


	3. Homecoming

**Present Day**

Coming to a stop at the end of the rocky driveway, Dani turned the key in the ignition. The house sat in front of her, looking the same as it had the day she left, except now all the plants were overgrown, the ivy had climbed the walls, and the paint on the outside of the windows was almost entirely peeled off.

She peered over her shoulder, seeing her daughter, Ava, still sound asleep in her car seat; a stuffed unicorn clutched loosely in her small hands. Dani smiled, looking at the house again and crossing her arms atop the steering wheel. It was strange, being back in Hawkins. The entire eighteen-hour drive she had been convinced she wasn’t actually going to end up back here, but here she was, sat in front of her now passed-on father’s house.

She had gotten the call from the hospital three days ago; her father had been there for a week with some type of pneumonia and had died in the early hours of the morning. She had tried to feel sad, she really had, but the sadness never came. He had her down as his only next of kin, and now she had to organise his funeral and clear out his house.

She was trying not to think about the fact it was nearly five years to the day since she left, and she was really hoping that Billy had moved back to California.

A tapping on her window made Dani jump, whacking her knee off the underside of her steering wheel, she cursed loudly. Ava stirred in the back seat but didn’t wake. Turning her head, Dani met the warm, brown eyes of her elderly neighbour.

“Mr. Forrest.” She sighed, rolling her window down, a small smile on her face. “Sorry, I was distracted.”

“Not to worry, dear. I’m just handing your father’s keys over.” The old man smiled at her brightly, his greying hair nearly reaching his shoulders underneath his hat. “It’s nice to see you!”

“You too, thank you.” Dani waved as Mr. Forrest turned and walked slowly back to his front door the next house over. She kept an eye on him, unclicking her seatbelt so she was ready to run and help if he slid on the icy pathways. Thankfully he didn’t, and Dani let out a breath, the cold air streaming in through her still open window.

Turning in her seat, Dani smiled at her still sleeping daughter and reached over to push some of her curls out of her face. She was the spitting image of Billy, especially now as she slept with her wild hair and lips parted slightly, and it tugged at Dani’s heartstrings every single time. 

Sighing, Dani turned back in her seat and climbed out of the car into the cold November evening.

The trunk of her car was filled with suitcases, essentials that she and Ava would need over the next few weeks they were there. Dani sighed, grabbing the handle of one of the cases and heaving it out of the trunk, the wheels clattering against the driveway.

The paint of the front door was going the same way as the windows, peeling and dropping off onto the old, worn our doormat, the word ‘Welcome’ barely visible now. Dani pushed the keys into the lock, listening to it click open and pushing the handle down. The smell of the house hit her instantly, and she was greeted with a wall of memories that she had pushed back into the deepest corners of her mind. It smelled like her father’s cigarettes and stale whisky.

Dani scrunched her nose up as she pulled the first suitcase into the hall, leaving it there while she returned to the car to get more. She decided to let Ava sleep until she was done; since they slept in a motel last night and neither of them got much sleep. 

It didn’t take her long to get all of their bags and boxes into the house, and she closed the trunk with a sigh. Ava had stirred in her seat, and Dani had to all but wrestle with the straps to get her out.

“Come on, bug.” Dani whispered, lifting Ava so she was resting her head on Dani’s shoulders, her little arms wrapping around her neck as Dani walked slowly back towards the house, closing the door with her foot once they were safely inside. She turned into the living room, laying Ava down on the sofa and covering her with a blanket. She didn’t know what the beds were like upstairs, and she hadn’t blown up their travel mattress.

Walking up the stairs, Dani peered into her old bedroom. It hadn’t changed since the day she left. The same bedsheets, the same posters and pictures on the wall, the same pile of homework on the desk that she had been doing there the night before she left. She pushed the door open wider, stepping into the room and being slapped in the face with nostalgia. Suddenly, she felt seventeen again, and if it weren’t for the fact she could hear Ava snoring lightly downstairs, she would’ve believed she was.

Sitting on the edge of her old bed, Dani coughed at the dust cloud that rose up from it. Her father had obviously completely left her room alone the whole time she had been gone, and her heart hurt at the thought of him all alone stumbling around the house. She started stripping the sheets from the bed, bundling them up in a ball at the top of the stairs and turning back into the room to flip the mattress. It didn’t take her long to be standing outside the door to her father’s room.

Dani took a deep breath; she hadn’t been in his room since she was about seven and couldn’t remember what it looked like. She felt like she should’ve been knocking on the door, but instead she pushed it open. She froze just inside. The floor was littered with empty beer bottles, old cigarette packets, and old newspapers, but the state of the floor wasn’t what caught her attention. On his bedside table was a photo, a photo that Dani had never seen before. She stepped across the room gingerly, trying to avoid the trash, and picked up the dusty frame.

The face that smiled back at her was one she barely recognised. Her father was young, his cheeks were fuller, and his hair was thick and dark, the complete opposite of the white haired, sunken cheeked man she remembered. He was sitting beside a woman, with long, black hair and freckles, she had a crown made of flowers around her head and she was wearing a long, white, floaty dress. Dani realised suddenly this must have been their wedding day. She smiled, seeing her parents so happy was something that she didn’t remember at all. Every memory she had of them together they were fighting, and then, when Dani was six, her mum disappeared. She still wasn’t sure what happened to her, and her father hadn’t spoken of her since.

Dani put the picture back on the table, spotting another small photo frame that she hadn’t seen before. It was a picture of Dani as a little girl, smiling happily at the camera and holding the teddy bear her father had won for her at the fayre. She remembered the day, and she remembered posing for the photo, but she had never seen it. It was one of the only days her father had been sober, and that was only because he had been asked to come by her school for the annual father/daughter day. The memory made Dani’s heart hurt.

Sighing, Dani put the photo down again and started stripping the sheets from her father’s bed, trying to ignore the urge to start crying. Picking up the sheets, she took them to the top of the stairs and picked up her own, really hoping the washing machine was still working.

She peered in on Ava as she passed the living room, smiling when she seen her little girl still sound asleep where she left her. The kitchen was the next door down, and Dani could feel herself feeling more and more at home the longer she had been here. She pushed all the sheets into the machine, thanking God quietly when it turned on first time, and closed the door.

Dusting her hands off on her jeans, she opened a few of the cupboards, only to be greeted with empty shelves. Sighing, she pressed her lips together, they were going to have to go to the supermarket. Although, she supposed, she could treat Ava to a McDonalds’ breakfast tomorrow.

The wave of tiredness that hit Dani suddenly made her yawn, and she walked slowly into the living room, closing the blinds and curtains to block out the orange light of the streetlights, and settled herself down in her father’s old chair, pulling the old, threadbare knitted blanket over herself. It didn’t take her long to fall asleep.


	4. Seeing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oy. I’m so sorry it’s been so long since I updated this. With Christmas, having two little boys, my laptop breaking, and just general “adult” life, I’ve had no time to sit and write.
> 
> I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday season! And if you don’t celebrate it, I hope you had a beautiful December!

Running to avoid the rain, Dani clutched Ava’s hand tightly in hers. The supermarket parking lot had been so packed she had barely managed to get a space, and when she did it was roughly a whole country away from the actual store. She tried her hardest to keep Ava - who was laughing so hard she could barely run - protected with her jacket, but even with that, the pair of them were soaked to the skin by the time they got through the front doors.

Dani sighed, pushing her now soaked hair back off her face and knelt down to fix the bow that was hanging from Ava’s hair. Ava looked at her with a beaming smile, loving what had just happened. Dani couldn’t help but smile back at the little girl in front of her, her heart still swelling to double the size when she saw that little face. She smoothed out Ava’s curls as best she could and straightened up, looking around quickly to locate the shopping carts. Her dad’s house had absolutely no food in the cupboards, and the two of them had to stop at McDonalds for breakfast, much to Ava’s happiness. Gripping the handlebar of a cart, Dani tugged it from its place in the holder, making sure she didn’t grab a wonky one by accident. Thankfully, and for the first time ever, she hadn’t. 

“Mommy,” Ava’s voice made Dani look down at her, the little girl staring wide-eyed at the seemingly luminous pink toy aisle not far away from them. “Can I go look at the toys? Please?”

Dani hesitated for a moment. Normally, at home, she would say yes, but they knew that store like the back of their hands. She had no idea where anything was here, and the though of Ava wandering around on her own made her stomach twist. Then again, could she really handle listening to Ava whine the whole time they were in the store? 

“Promise to stay in the toy aisle, don’t come looking for me, okay? I’ll come find you in twenty minutes.” Dani said, her voice stern as she knelt down in front of Ava. “Pinky promise, on Auntie Kay’s apple pie.” 

Ava held out her tiny pinky, locking it around Dani’s in a grip that, honestly, was way too strong for a four year old, before toddling towards the toys. Dani watched her disappear into the bright pink aisle, and sighed, pulling her phone from her pocket to check the list she’d made up that morning. They needed everything, from milk and bread, to washing powder, to toothpaste. It was going to cost a lot more than Dani wanted it to. 

Pushing her cart through the aisles, Dani caught herself in a daze. She hadn’t been in this supermarket in five years, and yet she felt at home. Like she was meant to still be here. Deep in the pit of her stomach was a feeling of anxiety, like something was going to happen that would make her whole day turn upside down in a heartbeat. She tried to push it to the side, ignoring it the best she could as she looked for the pasta sauce that Ava liked best. It was strange, anxiety causing butterflies and sweating palms like that when she knew she didn’t have anything to worry about. She put it down to the fact that it was because she hadn’t been here in so long. 

That’s when a voice came from beside her. 

“Dani?”

~ Billy ~

Billy shook his head as he stepped into the supermarket, trying to rid his hair of even a little of the rain that had soaked it. He was glad he had cut it, because his curls were always a nightmare in weather like this. Huffing, he picked up a basket. He had promised Max he would pick up the dinner for their weekly family night, one of the last before she and Lucas got married, but of course he had forgotten until twenty minutes ago, as he was on his way to their house. 

He headed straight to the pasta aisle, knowing how much all of them loved when Max made her spaghetti and meatballs. Nodding to himself as he picked up two packets of spaghetti, although he knew it was too much, he didn’t want them running out any time soon either.

The thing about “family night” was that it wasn’t really family. His dad had shown for the first one and then never again, so it was just him, Max, Lucas, and Susan, Max’s mom and Billy’s step-mom. He didn’t know why Neil never came, but he also didn’t really care, the less time spent with him the better. His relationship with Max had strengthened over the years, and now the pair were like blood siblings, hardly able to remember the times when Billy loathed the girl for making his father leave California. 

Turning on his heel, Billy started back down the aisle, towards where the sauces were. Usually at this time on a Friday the supermarket was packed, but today was different. There was only a handful of people milling about, probably because of the weather, and Billy found himself wishing that it was this horrible outside every time he came to get groceries. 

He wasn’t paying attention to anyone else around him, glancing down aisles as he passed them to go and get sauces. The pink lights of the toy aisle caught his attention, and he spotted a little girl stood on her own, a look of concentration of her face as she looked at the dolls in front of her. Billy smiled a little, turning down the next aisle and stopping in his tracks.

There, stood in front of him, was Dani. Her hair had been cut to her shoulders and wilder than he had ever seen it. Her sweater clung to her because it was so wet, and she was grabbing jars of sauce from the shelf. Her eyebrows were furrowed in the middle, and she looked like she was deep in thought. Billy’s feet were moving before he could stop them. 

“Dani?” He asked, clearing his throat a little as he did. Dani’s head snapped round, her eyes wide and mouth parted slightly. She looked like she had seen a ghost all of a sudden. “What are you doing here?” 

“My - my dad died.” Dani’s voice was shaking, and Billy’s face fell. He knew they had never been close from the times they had spent together, but he wouldn’t wish a parent dying on his worst enemy.

“I’m sorry.” Billy smiled sadly, and Dani nodded, swallowing as she put her sauce into the cart beside her. 

The pair fell into silence, Dani staring at Billy and vice versa. Billy couldn’t believe how, even after five years and how badly she had hurt him by disappearing so suddenly and without reason, his heart hammered at the sight of her. 

“You cut your hair.” Dani said, and Billy let out a short laugh, lifting his hand to run his fingers through his still damp locks. 

“So did you.” He smiled, making Dani blush a shade of scarlet he’d never seen before. 

“Mommy!”

Dani’s face fell as the sound of a little girls voice came from behind Billy, looking round him to see Ava running towards the pair. Billy frowned, following Dani’s gaze and realising the little girl from the toy aisle was running towards them. She flew past Billy and Dani caught her with ease, lifting her and sitting her on her hip, turning her away from Billy so he couldn’t see her face. 

“I told you not to leave the toy aisle, Ava.” Dani said sternly, and billy stood, rooted to the spot.

“I know but look!” Ava squealed excitedly, holding out a Barbie in front of Dani’s face. “She’s only eight dollars! Can I have her? Please mommy!”

Dani sighed, letting the girl down and looking at Billy again quickly. 

“I’ll... I’ll see you later.”

Billy was opening his mouth to reply but Dani had already practically ran away from him. So he stood, mouth open and mind whirling, watching after her and her little girl as they speed-walked down the aisle. He could hear Ava asking who he was, why wasn’t Dani talking, and wondered to himself. 

Was that why Dani left?


	5. Stitches

Billy cut the engine as he pulled up in front of Max’s house. His knuckles were white from the grip he had on his steering wheel, and he stared at the road in front of him for a minute before he moved. 

He had stood for longer than he probably realised after Dani had ran away from him, the eyes of her little girl looking at him over her shoulder as she asked Dani who he was. The dirty blonde curly hair was the exact same as his was when he was younger. His heart had hammered in his chest as he thought - was she his? He had hunted the rest of the store to find Dani again, but she had vanished just as quickly as she had five years ago. 

He grabbed his grocery bag from the back of the car, being careful not to accidentally smash the jars of spaghetti sauce as he climbed out. The November air was biting, and he hunched down into his sweater a bit more. He never wore a jacket, even though he had plenty. 

Jogging up the front path, he didn’t bother knocking when he reached Max’s front door, just pushing it open and stepping in to the blissfully warm house. He smiled at the wall of heat, thankful that his sister and her fiancé, Lucas, loved the heat just as much as he did. 

Lucas’ head popped out from around the living room door, a smile plastering itself on his face when he saw Billy coming up the hall towards him. 

“Hey!” Lucas grinned, holding out a hand. Billy shook it, pulling Lucas in for a one armed hug as he did so. “Max is in the kitchen. Want a beer?” 

Billy nodded as he walked towards the kitchen, stopping at the door. Max was flitting around the room like a hummingbird, her fiery red hair tied into a bun atop her head and her shirt tucked into her jeans. She never wore shoes in the house so her outfit was made marginally less cool by the pink fluffy slippers on her feet, but that was Max. She stopped when she spotted Billy, grinning at him and holding out her hand for the bag he was holding. Billy handed it to her, crossing his arms across his chest. 

“Guess who I just saw.” Billy said, looking at his feet as he scuffed the toe of his dirty work boot against the kitchen floor. 

“Oh, god, was it Neil? Did he say anything?” Max winced, they never spoke to Billy’s dad anymore, so the thought of bumping into him made them both uneasy. 

“No, no, it wasn’t my dad.” Billy shook his head, pushing a tiny bit of hair from his face. He had no idea how he used to wear it long, he could barely cope with it in his face anymore. “I saw Dani.”

“Dani?!” Max’s voice jumped up an octave, stopping in her tracks with the spaghetti hovering over the pot of boiling water on the stove. “Where?!”

“At the grocery store.” Billy rubbed his forehead, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. “That’s not the bad bit, though,” 

“Really? What’s worse than that?”

Max had been the one to help Billy out of his slump when Dani left, so her feelings towards the girl weren’t the kindest. She had sat on Billy’s bed at 3am to make sure he hadn’t choked on his vomit after another bender, while he mumbled about Dani in his sleep. She had washed his hands and wrapped them in bandages after he’d punched a mirror in anger at her. Max had been his best friend, and the pair had been inseparable since. She was the reason Billy hadn’t moved to California like he had planned, and instead got a degree in mechanics and opened his own garage in Hawkings. 

“She - she had a kid with her.”

Max dropped the jar she was holding. The red tomato pasta sauce spilling all over the white marble of the kitchen floor. Billy jumped out of the way, and Lucas came running at the sound of glass breaking. Max stared at Billy with wide eyes, her complexion changing from flushed to like she had seen a ghost. Lucas looked between the two, confusion plain on his face.

“A kid?!” Max all but shrieked. Billy nodded, his eyebrows furrowed in the middle. He took the beer Lucas was holding out to him and necked half of it in one gulp as Max started to fuss over the spilled sauce. 

“A little girl.” Billy said, burping a little and covering his mouth with his hand. 

“Who has a little girl?” Lucas asked, looking up from where he was knelt on the kitchen floor, trying to wipe up some of the glass before anyone stood on it. 

“Dani.” Billy and Max said at the same time. Lucas whistles through his teeth, grimacing slightly. 

“Ouch. Is she yours?” 

The kitchen fell into silence. Billy stared at the wall while Max glared at Lucas, throwing tomato soaked bits of kitchen towel at him. That was the only thought that had been in Billy’s head the whole day. 

“Nah, she can’t be.” Billy said quietly, downing the rest of his beer. “Another one?” He asked Lucas, holding the empty bottle out. Lucas nodded and Billy headed into the living room, grabbing two more beers from the little fridge beside the sofa. He wasn’t a big drinker - anymore - but damn, he needed these today. 

***

Four hour later, Billy was slouched on Max’s arm chair. He was nursing a beer, the light of the tv screen the only thing keeping the room illuminated. Max had fallen asleep on the sofa, her head on Lucas’ lap and a thick blanket covering her. 

Lucas had promise he would stay awake with Billy - and that he would make sure he didn’t drive anywhere, but he was starting to flag. His heavy eyes betraying him, and eventually he slipped into sleep as well.

Billy looked at them for a minute, before he stood from his seat. He put his car keys on the coffee table so they knew he hadn’t driven, and stepped out of the front door. The cold night air bit at his cheeks instantly, but he had drank so much that he barely felt it. 

He walked, and walked, and walked, until he couldn’t feel his legs anymore. Dani’s father’s house was on the other side of town to Max, and while it normally wouldn’t have taken him so long to walk there; his drunken footsteps were slower than normal, and he tripped over himself more than once. But, eventually, he was stood at the bottom of the front path. 

His knuckles rattled against the front door. The living room light was still on, so he hoped he hadn’t woken her. After a few seconds the sound of locks clicking filled his ears, and he swayed on the spot a little as he waited for the door to open. 

Dani’s eyebrows furrowed as she realised who it was at the door, pulling her sweater tighter around herself.

“Billy? What are you doing here?” She asked, her voice quiet and making small clouds in the cold air. 

Billy stared at her for a minute. Her hair was too short to be in a bun properly now she she had just scraped the top layer back into a bun, her cheeks were flushed red, and she looked like she had been crying. Billy frowned.

“Are you okay?” He asked, and Dani nodded, sniffling slightly. 

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine.” She frowned, “why are you here?”

Billy took a breath, staring at Dani intensely as he tried his hardest not to sway on the spot.

“Is she mine, Dani?”


	6. Easier

Dani lay on the sofa, eyes staring at the ceiling as she strained her ears to try and hear if Ava woke up. She could hear Billy snoring lightly in the bedroom above her - her bedroom. Billy had stumbled into her house, cried on the sofa, and as he started to doze off, she did what she knew she needed to; she offered him her bed so he could get a decent sleep.

It was coming up for 7am, and Dani’s eyes were burning. The TV was on low with the brightness turned down, and the fireplace was still crackling slowly. She hasn’t slept a wink as her brain was reeling over and over what had happened a few hours earlier.

** 

Dani blinked. Her throat closing up and her heart jumping into her throat as she stared at the man in front of her. Billy’s hand were white as they clung to the door frame. The cold air of the night was nipping at Dani’s bare skin on her legs, making her wrap her cardigan around herself tighter. She didn’t know if Billy could tell she had been crying, but she hoped not.

“What?” She finally managed to choke out, Billy’s eyes burning into hers.

“I said - is she mine?” Billy’s words made Dani’s head spin. How had he worked it out so quickly? Dani swallowed, trying to get her words to work and confirm what he had asked, but she couldn’t.

“You’re going to freeze.” Dani choked out, standing to the side so Billy could stumble in past her. She watched as he tripped over himself as he tried to take off his shoes, and closed the front door, successfully locking out the cold. She walked behind Billy quietly, following him into the living room and gesturing for him to sit anywhere.

“Do you - I mean, would you like something to drink?” Dani swallowed, her voice seeming small and lost in the room. Billy was staring at the pictures scattered around, some in frames on the mantelpiece and some on the table, bare spots on the wall from where Dani had taken them down.

“I think I’ve had enough.” Billy smiled lightly, and Dani’s cheeks blushed red so furiously she was glad it was dark.

Dani nodded, sitting in her dad’s old armchair and pulling her cardigan tight around her, it was warm in the house thanks to the wood burning fire in the living room, but she felt a chill on her spine looking at Billy. She stared at the man in front of her, the changes in him from the last time she saw him almost unbelievable. He was wearing grey jeans, and a sweater that Dani would’ve dubbed a “grandad sweater”.

The pair sat in silence, Dani watching Billy as he looked around the room slowly, his eyes finally settling on Dani across from him. His eyebrows furrowing as he looked at her.

“Why are you here?” He asked bluntly, and Dani looked away, her eyes falling to her knees.

“My dad died. I - they asked me to clean up the house.” She said quietly, not looking back at Billy. “We’re not staying long. We’ll be gone before Christmas.”

Billy nodded, pursing his lips and breathing in deep through his nose, his eyes moving to the TV where there was a strange movie about cats and dogs wearing night vision goggles playing.

“Is she -“

“She’s yours.” Dani and Billy spoke at the same time, the pair finally meeting eyes as Dani confirmed what Billy had been about to ask. Dani didn’t realise she had been so close to crying, but the words sent her over the edge. She wiped the sudden falling tears from her cheeks, her hands falling weakly to her knees.

Billy sat silently, his eyes never leaving Dani as he thought. He had missed four whole years of having a daughter. Four years of birthdays, and Christmases. Her first steps and first word - he had missed all of the important moments of her life so far. He couldn’t think of words.

“Please say something.” Dani whispered, wiping her cheeks again.

“Why did you leave?” Billy asked, his voice nowhere near as harsh as Dani had expected it to be.

“I - I can’t tell you the main reason.” Dani stuttered, seeing the expression on Billy’s face change from sad to frustrated.“I’m sorry, but I can’t... not just yet.”

Billy nodded, clasping his hands together. “Alright. Tell me the secondary reason.”

“I was scared.” Dani whispered, “you were - we weren’t -“

“Dammit, Dani!” Billy shouted suddenly, making Dani jump in her seat before she tried shushing him. Ava was asleep upstairs, after all. “You’ve been gone FIVE years! You’re now back, and surprise! I have a daughter - and all you can give me is ‘I was scared’?! Did you ever, for a second, consider I could have helped you? Or supported you? Or - I don’t know - been a good dad?!”

“Don’t yell! Please.” Dani’s voice was considerably lower than Billy’s. “Ava is asleep.”

Billy’s face softened instantly, and his shoulders slumped back into himself.

Dani took a deep breath, looking over at Billy and seeing the pain he was feeling written all over his face. “Billy the last time I saw you... you were getting out of your car after a date with Charlotte. I had come to talk to you and you were on a date with someone else.”

“You hadn’t spoken to me in five weeks!” Billy hissed, and Dani held up her hands.

“And that’s my fault - but I was scared, okay? I was seventeen and pregnant and living with a drunk. My baby-Daddy who wasn’t my actual boyfriend was dating other girls, I got fired, I dropped out of school - I didn’t know what to do.” Dani sobbed, her chest hurting as she finally let out everything she had been holding in for all the years.

“You could’ve come to me.” Billy whispered, tears on his own face. “I - I wasn’t dating Charlotte to be an asshole, or to get back at you for not talking to me - I was trying to distract myself from missing you.”

“I - I tried.” Dani shrugged. “I tried to come see you but you weren’t there, and it took everything to not turn my car around and come back to you. I had to get out of here to give my daughter - our daughter - a proper chance.”

Billy wiped tears from his cheeks. He knew he wasn’t going to like what he heard, but hearing that Dani didn’t think their daughter would’ve had a good chance in life if she had stayed... well, it killed him inside.

Dani stood up, sniffling as she did. She made her way over to where Billy was sat on the sofa, and sat down next to him. Neither of them spoke as she did, and when she rested her head on Billy’s shoulder, his heart jumped into his mouth. He swallowed harshly, sniffing and wiping tears from his face again.

“You’ve had a lot to drink.” Dani said matter of factly, and Billy nodded, too tired to fight with her. “Go sleep upstairs. The last door on the right.”

“What about you?” Billy asked, frowning and looking at Dani as she took her head from his shoulder. She smiled softly, and Billy couldn’t stop the small, sad smile creeping onto his face in return.

“I’ll be alright down here.” Dani shrugged, grabbing the blanket from the back of the sofa almost to prove her point and then pointed at the fireplace, burning away in the corner. “It’s not like I’ll be cold.”

Billy nodded, standing from his spot on the sofa. He hesitated a second, before leaning down and pressing a gentle kiss to Dani’s forehead.

“I’m glad you’re back.” He said softly, not looking at Dani again as he stumbled his way out of the living room.

Dani listened to him trip his way up the stairs, his mutters and muttered swears making her smile until she heard the weight of his body on the mattress of her dad’s old bed. It wasn’t long, maybe about five minutes, before Dani heard him snoring.

**

Dani jumped at the sound of a door opening. She hadn’t realised she had dozed off, but the sounds of Ava getting up and leaving her old bedroom were unmistakable. Throwing herself up off the sofa, she all but ran to the bottom of the stairs.

“Ava!” She called softly, hearing Ava’s steps stopping in her tracks before her little head poked round the banister.

“Mommy? Why are you downstairs?” Ava asked, rubbing at her eyes and starting to take the stairs one at a time. She had one arm wrapped tightly around her unicorn while she used the other to keep herself steady on the handrail. Her curly hair was sticking up in every direction, and she had lines on her face from where she had been sleeping heavily on her sheets. Dani smiled, because damn, she was such a beautiful kid.

“I couldn’t sleep, bug.” Dani held out her arms, scooping Ava into them before she reached the bottom of the stairs. “What do you say to cereal and cartoons?”

Ava’s face lit up, her hair bouncing around as she nodded. Dani carried her back into the living room, wrapping her up in the blanket on the sofa before she went into the kitchen to sort her breakfast.

Breathing out heavily, Dani prayed that Billy didn’t wake up for a while. It was way too early for that conversation.


End file.
